Craft Cocktails, Small Plates Among New Dining Options Coming To Downtown Detroit
By Edward Cardenas
DETROIT - (CBS Detroit) A smorgasbord of new restaurants coming to downtown Detroit were announced Wednesday by Bedrock Real Estate Services.
The four restaurants are bringing a variety of main dishes, small plates, sides and cocktails to Central Business District buildings owned by Bedrock.
Dan Mullen, vice president of leasing and development for Bedrock, said the company is seeking to bring "unique retailers and restaurants into these locations" which can't be replicated in the suburbs.
These new dining locations will serve the nearly 12,000 employees of the Quicken Loans family of companies, 100,000 people who work in the Central Business District and the many visitors to the area.
The three new restaurants set to open this year include:
- Wright and Company, a contemporary restaurant at 1500 Woodward that will feature American small plates, craft cocktails and natural wines when it opens in June. The restaurant is owned by Dave Kwiatkowski, owner of the Sugar House, and Marc Djozlija, the former head chef at MGM Grand's Wolfgang Puck.
- Freshii, a local franchise of the Toronto-based chain, will feature fresh, healthy and nutritious items including salads, wraps, soups and smoothies at 1001 Woodward. The restaurant is scheduled to open in September said Randy Dickow, owner, who also owns Lunchtime Global in Detroit.
- 7 Greens, a healthy fast-casual restaurant specializing in salads with 80 different toppings along with fresh soups, breads and sweets made fresh daily. The restaurant is scheduled to open in August in the Z Building.
The owners of these three restaurants were joined by Mike Abdallah Jr. - the owner of Mike's Kabob Grille, which opened at 719 Griswold in May - to offer samples of their fare at a tasting event in the First National Building in Detroit.
Abdallah said that his restaurant - which features a variety of Middle Eastern dishes including meat, seafood and vegetarian specialities - is located in the Chrysler House and has opened to rave reviews.
"People love our food and we have had nothing but positive feedback," said Abdallah, who has catered events for some of Quicken's companies and looked to locate near their downtown offices.
Kelly Schaefer-Janssen is the owner of 7 Greens, a unique salad restaurant which features a blend of seven styles of lettuce and 18 gluten-free dressings that are made from scratch daily, to the city.
"There is nothing like us downtown," said Schaefer-Janssen, who is excited about being part of something bigger happening in the city. "I wanted to part of the rebirth of Detroit."
